Camera path and orientaion

Support Basics & Interface
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Hi there. I’m trying to create a flythrough of an architectural model. The structure, materials, and lighting are all set, but I’m having trouble getting the camera right. I tried keyframes, but the camera movement was too imprecise so I have the camera following a path. In the end, the movie will be stuck into a presentation and looped, so the camera needs to start and end in the same place. Also, I want the camera to accelerate from a stop and decelerate to a stop at the beginning and end of each loop (because the computer or the player can’t be trusted to perform a smooth loop). I have the camera following a nurbs circle and have the nurbs circle deformed to the proper path. I can use the speed IPO under the “path” button to do the accel- and deceleration. But the last location of the camera does not match the first. I think the end of the path is one segment short of completing the circle but I’m not sure. How do I overcome this?

I’d also like to change the orientation method of the camera as it moves along the curve; i.e. for the first half it looks along the curve, but for the second half it’s tracked to an object. Is this possible?

Thanks very much.

D

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But the last location of the camera does not match the first. I think the end of the path is one segment short of completing the circle but I’m not sure. How do I overcome this?

Is this in the render? If it’s in the Alt-A preview it’s normal to skip a beat.

I’d also like to change the orientation method of the camera as it moves along the curve; i.e. for the first half it looks along the curve, but for the second half it’s tracked to an object. Is this possible?

If you do one render for the Look along Curve and another for the Look Around, then put them together in the Sequence Editor.
Another way is to have it track an Empty (or any other object), which you will manually have to keyframe along the path and just ahead of the camera, then have it go off of the path and line up with your Look At places along the way.

Interesting you say IPO’s are not sussinct enough. Do you know you can edit then just like regular curves, even use delta curves to manage and modify them?

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